"AFTER Sept 11, Al-Jazeera was hailed as the CNN of the Arab world when it captivated a world audience with its tapes of Osama bin Laden. It now has a competitor in the form of the Dubai-based Al-Arabia, which timed its first official broadcast for the NAM opening ceremony on Feb 20," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Iran has denied reports that the United Nations has demanded access to its nuclear plants following US claims that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons. Its Deputy Foreign Minister, Gulam Ali Khoshroo, said the visit of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Dr Mohammad Al-Baradi to his country was at the invitation of his government. He stressed that Iran's intention of developing nuclear plants was to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes like generating more electricity," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Members of the United States guest delegation have been gathering views and gauging the mood of NAM members ahead of the leaders' meeting on Monday. Ambassador Charles H. Twining, head of the US team invited by the Malaysian government as guests to the summit, said he did not experience any hostility although he was surprised by the aggressiveness and assertiveness of the press members covering the event," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix ordered Iraq on Friday to begin destroying by March 1 dozens of missiles and warheads, their engines and launchers in a key test of Iraq's willingness to comply with UN disarmament demands. Baghdad's response will have an impact on a resolution the United States and Britain are seeking to authorise military action against Iraq. Other council members, especially Russia, have questioned whether the missile controversy should turn into a so-called smoking gun as the exceeded range was small and the rockets had been declared by Iraq," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Russia will oppose any new UN Security Council resolution that would automatically authorise the use of force against Iraq, Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov said in an interview yesterday. US President George W. Bush and top aides have began lobbying the other 14 UN Security Council members for a new resolution. But the resistance of Security Council veto-holders France, Russia, and China to an early war make the US quest for a resolution authorising force an uphill battle," reported the AP news agency.
"Iraq planned to ramp up its wheat imports from Australia as a “reward” for the massive peace protests held in Australian cities last weekend," reported the AFP news service.
"Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar donned a cowboy hat and affirmed Madrid's solidarity with the United States against Iraq," reported the Reuters news agency.
"US forces massed around Iraq ballooned to more than 200,000 this week, including 98,000 in Kuwait, the main staging area for a possible US invasion of Iraq. Unlike the 1991 Gulf war to free Kuwait from Iraqi occupation, the US military now does not have to rely solely on sending materials from the United States because much of it has been pre-positioned on ships at sea or in warehouses in Kuwait and Qatar, said Lt-Col Ray Langlais, who helps run the main clearing house for equipment at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait," reported the AFP news service.
"An overwhelming majority of nearly 85% of the Spanish population is against war on Iraq according to an opinion poll published yesterday, despite Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's staunch support for the US stance," reported the AFP news service.
"More than a hundred anti-war activists packed the council chamber during Friday's vote, urging the passage of the motion urging US President George W. Bush to respect diplomacy and international consensus in handling the crisis," reported the AFP news service.
"The US west coast metropolis of Los Angeles on Friday became the largest American city to officially oppose a unilateral US war against Iraq, passing a resolution condemning a looming attack on Iraq," reported the AFP news service.
"A senior UN arms inspector has branded intelligence from the United States on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction as garbage. The Britain's left-wing tabloid Daily Mirror quoted the inspector, whom it did not name, as saying that UN teams had been fed garbage after garbage by US intelligence," reported the AFP news service.
"The Archbishop of Canterbury stepped back into the debate over the morality of attacking Iraq on Friday by questioning whether such action would improve the lot of ordinary Iraqis. Rowan Williams, leader of the world's 70 million Anglicans, said Christians believed no war is a good war and suggested that by attacking Iraq, Britain and United States would be undermining their own morality," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Residents of Staten Island, a quiet working-class borough of New York City, feared the worst on Friday as a fire raged at a nearby gasoline terminal, sending skyward an ominous, thick black plume of smoke," reported the AFP news service.
"Former Gurkhas from Nepal who served with the British army lost on Friday their High Court battle against the Defence Ministry for equal pay and conditions. Cherie Booth, the barrister wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair, had argued for the Gurkhas in the courtroom campaign, describing them this week as brave fighters who deserved better treatment," reported the AFP news service.
"Armageddon is just 57 years away, by the calculations of Britain's most famous scientist, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported yesterday. Sir Isaac Newton, the 17th century scientist and theologian, wrote thousands of pages of notes in his attempt to decode the Bible and pin down the date of the apocalypse," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The Grammy Awards return to New York for the first time in five years today, with songs influenced by the Sept 11 hijacked plane attacks on the city in the running for the music industry's top annual prizes. Veteran rocker Bruce Springsteen's The Rising and country singer Alan Jackson's emotional Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) are both nominated for Song of the Year," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency said yesterday that Iran, accused by Washington of pursuing nuclear weapons, had agreed to provide prompt information on any new nuclear facilities in the country," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Iraq's fractious opposition appears to have been thrown off balance by declared US plans to set up a military government in Baghdad after the eventual ouster of Saddam Hussein. Several major opposition factions and figures have loudly denounced what one called the intended perpetuation of Saddamism without Saddam, but the US plan has found some takers among the motley of groups seeking the overthrow of the Iraqi leader," reported the AFP news service.
"Westerners acting as human shields began setting up camp inside Iraqi civilian installations on Friday as the US said it has amassed enough forces in the Gulf to attack Iraq. Around 20 human shields from Europe moved into the Seventh of April waterworks, a 160,000 sq metre facility on the edge of the Tigris river. More groups were finalising plans to take up residence in other civilian sites, such as power stations, hospitals and museums. Fabio Tomasi, a teacher in Milan, said his Italian Mission for Peace would remain in the waterworks if war broke out," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The United States has offered to give India the US$2.5bil owed to it by Iraq and assure its oil supply for unambiguous support of its war against Baghdad. The report did not specify when or through what channels Washington's offers were conveyed to New Delhi, but said State Department officials had told visiting Indian foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal that US and Indian interests could converge after the war," reported the AFP news service.
"The Asian Age newspaper said Washington would also award New Delhi a major chunk of reconstruction activities in post-war Iraq in exchange for unconditional backing," reported the AFP news service.
"US Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Tokyo yesterday at the start of a four-day trip to East Asia during which he is expected to announce a new instalment of US food aid to North Korea. The trip, which will also include visits to Beijing and Seoul, will be dominated by efforts to build consensus on how to deal with North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons programme but also aims to shore up support for a possible war against Iraq," reported the Reuters news agency.
"US Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Tokyo yesterday at the start of a four-day trip to East Asia during which he is expected to announce a new instalment of US food aid to North Korea," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Isolated North Korea and fellow members of the Non-Aligned Movement negotiated their way yesterday to a compromise agreement that urges the communist nation to curb the nuclear ambitions upsetting its neighbours," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Philippine leaders battled to quell growing political turmoil triggered by US' disclosure that hundreds of US special operations troops are on the way to fight alongside the Philippine military against ruthless Abu Sayyaf rebels," reported the AP news agency.
"Singapore yesterday began distributing emergency handbooks to one million households telling the public how to cope with emergencies and terrorist attacks, including chemical and biological warfare. A Internet website will be used to issue emergency-related announcements was also launched as part of a programme to promote greater awareness of terrorism," reported the AFP news service.
"Tanshan village is about as far away from Baghdad and Washington as it is possible to get, but a looming war in Iraq is never far from the residents' minds. There and in other areas of southern Ningxia – where more than 80% of people belong to the Muslim Hui ethnic group – many are watching the US build-up to war with anger," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad has called upon countries of the Non-Aligned Movement to take the moral high ground and work towards making war illegal. The summit is expected to issue a Final Document, Kuala Lumpur Declaration, Statement on Iraq and a Statement on Palestine. The document will focus on the movement's position on various issues while the declaration will be centred on the revitalisation of the movement," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"The music of pop-jazz chanteuse Norah Jones garnered seven Grammy awards, catapulting her past crowd favorite Bruce Springsteen and his three awards for the Sept. 11-inspired The Rising," reported the AP news agency.
"PEACE Malaysia called for the campaign for a peaceful resolution of the current Iraq crisis to be intensified and urged the United Nations to assume leadership in the fight against global terrorism," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Nearly 500 suspected drug peddlers have been slain in the crackdown spearheaded by the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Police say they are responsible for just 22 of the killings, all with officers acting in self-defense. They say the vast majority of the slayings are the work of drug gangs trying to silence potential informants. However, forensics experts have accused police of planting evidence on victims, and human rights advocates maintain that officers are arranging the shootings or executing suspects under a shoot-to-kill policy," reported the AP news agency.
"North Korea launched a missile that landed in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan," reported the AP news agency.
"Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamed made a blistering inaugural address as head of the host country with a call for the global community, through the United Nations, to outlaw war and create a new world order where power is shared by all nations. NAM, he said, should pursue a vision of a new order that is more equitable, more just and, above all, free from the age-old belief that killing people is right," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Dr Mahathir said current global tensions could not be solely caused by Muslims for even if it was true they were born terrorists, how did one explain the pogroms, the inquisitions and the holocaust which characterised Christian Europe for almost 2,000 years. He added that it was not religious differences that angered the World Trade Centre attackers but sympathy and anger over the expropriation of Palestinian land and the injustice and the oppression against the Palestinians and Muslims worldwide," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"The current focus on Iraq should not distract countries from effectively confronting the political, economic, social, environmental and other challenges in every region, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said. He also noted that NAM had an important role to play in promoting international peace and appealed to the movement to help bring an end to conflicts," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"The Non-Aligned Movement must make stronger resolutions on matters of international concern instead of merely adopting them, South African president Thabo Mbeki said. This was because the future of the movement relied upon its response to global challenges," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"About 20 first ladies and spouses of NAM leaders have lent their united voice to millions of others in the world in condemning a possible attack by the United States and its allies on Iraq. The dialogue involving the first ladies of NAM member countries was the first in the history of the organisation," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"NAM leaders who are here for the summit have told Iraq to comply with UN Security Council resolutions to disarm and to avoid a war in the Middle East," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Pakistan, which is being counted on by the US administration to support its call for war against Iraq, is yet to be convinced of Washington's charges levelled against Baghdad. President Pervez Musharraff said Pakistan preferred to await the United Nations arms inspectors' update on Friday before it could decide on a second UN Security Council resolution which the US is working on to force Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to disarm," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"An agreement was finally reached on the last contentious paragraph on North Korea yesterday, paving the way for the draft final document of the 13th Non-Aligned Movement Summit to be adopted today," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Despite being protected by a host of international laws, an increasing number of non-combatants, including women, old people and children are becoming targets and victims of war, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"US military officials refused a 13-member international delegation entry to an army base in Washington on Sunday, after the group asked to carry out an inspection for illegal arms at the site. The team had made a formal request to the US Defence Department for authorisation to enter the site. The group charges that biological and chemical weapons are developed and stored at Edgewood in breach of international chemical and biological conventions," reported the AFP news service.
"Iraq said it is serious about solving a UN order to start destroying its Al Samoud 2 missile programme by the end of the week, but asked the United Nations to reconsider," reported the AP news agency.
"A federal judge yesterday rejected a legal bid by a group of US soldiers and some members of the US Congress to keep President George W. Bush from ordering an invasion of Iraq without formal congressional approval, saying the court had no business getting involved at this stage," reported theb Reuters news agency.
"Kuwait said yesterday it has arrested three of its nationals planning to launch a terrorist attack against US troops in the emirate, and seized weapons and ammunition in their possession," reported the AFP news service.
"The Israeli army pulled out of the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun yesterday after a deadly 48-hour re-occupation that failed to stem Palestinian rocket attacks, while in Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon clinched a narrow right-wing government. The army quit Beit Hanun after destroying two road bridges and two access roads linking the town to Gaza City," reported the AFP news service.
"Scientists have created nine cloned cows whose milk is genetically geared for cheese-making. The designer cows are engineered to produce milk enriched with cheese proteins," reported the dpa news agency.
"An army officer leading a raid in northern Thailand was killed by suspected drug traffickers, becoming the first army officer slain in the country's ferocious crackdown on illicit drugs," reported the AP news agency.
"North Korea's test launch of a missile into the sea between Korea and Japan generated a wave of disbelief and anger among its Asian neighbors, who warned it would only increase anxiety in an already nervous region. The test was particularly sensitive because it came just hours before the inauguration of South Korea's new President Roh Moo-hyun, a ceremony attended by dignitaries including U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi," reported the AP news agency.
"A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed early Tuesday during a night training mission, killing all four crew members, the U.S. The crash occurred about 1 a.m. (2200 GMT Monday) near the military's Camp New Jersey about 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Kuwait City," reported the AP news agency.
"A chartered aircraft carrying Afghanistan's minister of industry and a Chinese mining executive crashed off southern Pakistan, killing all eight people aboard," reported the AP news agency.
"Park frequenters in Taiwan yesterday lashed out at the government for allowing the installation of four vending machines which sell condoms at a recreation spot here notorious for its gay sexual activity," reported the dpa news agency.
"First came ping pong diplomacy. Now, get ready for hot dog diplomacy. In 1971, Henry Kissinger, then US President Richard Nixon's assistant for national security affairs, made a secret visit to China while fashioning a new opening to Beijing with exchanges of table tennis teams in ping pongdiplomacy. As Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao and US Secretary of State Colin Powell exchanged pleasantries in the Great Hall of the People yesterday, Hu warmly recalled Powell's offer to buy him a hot dog in New York," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Arab countries have no way of averting a US-led war on Iraq but will seek to limit the damage of an eventual conflict at their forthcoming Arab summit. A senior Arab official, who declined to be named, stressed that Arab leaders are convinced that there will be a war and know that they have no material or political means to avert it.One Arab official said even if they have a different approach, all the Arab leaders are worried that a long-winded war would have negative repercussions on the region and fear that a barrage of television pictures showing destruction in Iraq would stir the passions of their own nationals and lead to instability at homereported the AFP news service.
"The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has reiterated its opposition to war in no uncertain terms as it concluded its summit in Kuala Lumpur. Although NAM and Malaysia were committed to the United Nations, they were not for the slaughtering of people in any way, including through the dropping of bombs," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"NAM leaders vowed to translate their rhetoric into action, giving a new breath of life to the movement at the end of a summit that roundly condemned the war that the United States and its allies want to wage against Iraq. The Kuala Lumpur Declaration, which expresses NAM’s desire to revitalise the movement, called for a change to its work methods and to respond to new realities so that it remains useful to its members," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Concerns over a looming war in Iraq continued to dominate the final day of the Summit yesterday with member countries venting their wrath on the United States. Many of the leaders said they believed a diplomatic and peaceful solution was still possible, even as the US indicated it stood ready to invade Baghdad. Even if war was necessary, the leaders said, it should be authorised by the United Nations first," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"The new joint resolution on Iraq by the United States, Britain and Spain to the United Nations is just Washington’s way of ending UN weapons inspections and beginning war. Iraqi Foreign Minister Dr Nadji Sabri said the US was fabricating evidence against Iraq so it could end the inspections and start a war against Iraq," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"People who disapprove of President George W. Bush's handling of the economy now outnumber those who approve, according to a Pew Research Center poll. The poll released Tuesday found that 43 percent now approve of the president's economic policy and 48 percent disapprove - the first time a Pew poll has found more disapproving," reported the AP news agency.
"Iraq is providing inspectors with new information about its weapons programs and has reported the discovery of two bombs, including one possibly filled with a biological agent — moves that show signs of real cooperation, the chief U.N. weapons inspector said Tuesday. President Bush, however, predicted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein would try to fool the world one more time by revealing the existence of weapons he has previously denied having. He urged the United Nations to honor its word and back U.S. action against Iraq. But the council is now deeply divided over whether Iraq has squandered that opportunity," reported the AP news agency.
"Consumer confidence plunged in February to its lowest level in nearly 10 years, dragged down by the prospect of war with Iraq," reported the AP news agency.
"North Korea urged its military and people to be ready for war, saying the United States could launch a strike at any time. The North's Foreign Ministry issued a statement accusing the United States of planning massive war games in the Korean Peninsula so that it could attack North Korea," reported the AP news agency.
"In a three-hour interview in the Iraqi capital, excerpts of which were being aired yesterday, CBS television quoted Saddam as belittling an order from chief weapons inspector Hans Blix to begin destroying the Al Samoud 2 system by the end of the week. Saddam Hussein indicated he will disobey UN orders to destroy his Al Samoud 2 missiles, but a top adviser said yesterday that the order was still being studied," reported the AP news agency.
"Warplanes of a US-British coalition patrolling the skies over northern Iraq struck at three Iraqi surface-to-surface missile systems yesterday in what appeared to be an attempt to lay the groundwork for a US ground offensive from the north. The attack appears to constitute an expansion of the US-British coalition's stated mission, which up to now was limited to preventing the Iraqi air force from using the airspace over the Kurdish-populated region and suppressing Iraqi air defence facilities to ensure the safety of US and British air crews," reported the AFP news service.
"Turkish and US officials failed to agree on conditions for deploying tens of thousands of US troops after marathon talks yesterday, likely delaying a parliamentary vote authorising the deployment. The Cabinet approved the deployment on Monday, but the prime minister's office had yet to send the Bill demanding authorisation for the deployment to Parliament," reported the AP news agency.
"Will British Prime Minister Tony Blair get a bloody nose from the House of Commons when MPs debate and vote on the Iraqi crisis today? A big revolt will be acutely embarrassing to Blair, who does not have the support of the people for war, but who is badly needed by President George W. Bush to be on his side for political reasons at a time when the Western alliance is deeply split over the issue," reported the AP news agency.
"Four US soldiers were killed yesterday when their helicopter crashed during night training in the Kuwaiti desert amid a US-led military build-up for a possible war against Iraq. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation," reported the AFP news service.
"In the shadows of a possible war with Iraq, another crisis is looming in this troubled corner of the Balkans, where ethnic Albanian militants are preparing a fresh challenge of Serbian rule. A former commander of ethnic Albanian rebels in Serbia's southern Presevo valley said he and his men are ready to launch a new insurgency this spring aimed at breaking the region away from Serbia and joining it with neighbouring Kosovo. The 29-year-old commander known as Murteza said the glory days will return and this time we will fight until the end," reported the AP news agency.
"The first AIDS vaccine to be tested in people does not offer general protection to Americans and Europeans but may protect blacks and Asians. There were only 314 blacks and a total of 498 blacks and Asians in the trial, so the numbers are difficult to interpret. But they offer enough hope for the company to continue development of the vaccine," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs prematurely kill about seven million people worldwide each year and the number is rising, according to a study released in Australia yesterday. Prof Juergen Rehm, director of Switzerland's Addiction Research Institute, said the global burden of disease resulting from smoking, drinking and taking drugs was huge," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Anti-terror police issued a public warning about a security threat to the America's Cup sailing competition yesterday after letters containing cyanide crystals and white powder were seized by postal workers," reported the AP news agency.
"The first Muslim cleric to be prosecuted in the British criminal courts over the contents of his preachings was convicted on Monday of soliciting the murder of Hindus. Abdullah El-Faisal, an associate of Abu Hamza, the extremist cleric ousted from the Finsbury Park mosque, was also found guilty of stirring up racial hatred in a series of venomous sermons against non-Muslims," reported The Daily Telegraph.
"As Jesica Santillan's family members grieve her death after a botched heart-lung transplant and a rare second one, they have become the target of criticism for refusing to make the girl an organ donor herself," reported the AP news agency.
"Michael Moore's controversial Stupid White Men, a blistering critique of the current US administration by the award-winning filmmaker, received Britain's book of the year prize on Monday," reported the AFP news service.
"A rare snowstorm swept across the Middle East yesterday, closing highways and schools in Israel, Lebanon and Jordan, cutting power and blanketing the steeples and palm trees of Jerusalem in wintry white. Forecasters said the storm will continue through today and is expected to deliver the heaviest snow since 1950. By mid-morning yesterday, 30cm had fallen in Jerusalem. Snow also covered northern Israel, the hills of the West Bank and the mountains of Lebanon," reported the AP news agency.
"North Korea test fired a missile and accused the United States of conducting spy flights, upstaging yesterday's inauguration of a new president in Seoul attended by US Secretary of State Colin Powell. News of the test, the latest twist in a four-month nuclear standoff, rattled Asian financial markets and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Pyongyang was trying to create a sense of a crisis.Powell, however, called it a fairly innocuous launch of an old missile for which North Korea had given advance notice," reported the Reuters news agency.
"A Roman Catholic diocese has banned public weddings for conspicuously pregnant brides, calling such bulging tummies contrary to the meaning of Christian marriage. Bishop Jose Sorra of the Diocese of Legazpi related the experience of a priest in the diocese who was officiating a marriage ceremony when the very pregnant bride went into labour and had to be rushed to the hospital. He said pregnancy outside marriage is a result of the violation of the Sixth Commandment and is therefore a counter-symbol to the purity, chastity, and beauty of the bride of Christ, the Church, his mystical body," reported the AP news agency.
"After 31 years and 100 films, macho action star Jackie Chan will be seen kissing on screen for the first time. The 48-year-old star kisses Claire Forlani in the final scene of his forthcoming movie Highbinders, breaking a self-imposed kissing ban stretching back to the start of his celluloid career," reported the dpa news agency
"The administration of President George W. Bush dismissed a compromise proposal by Canada to set an end-of-March deadline for Iraq to comply with U.N. disarmament demands. Canada had proposed the compromise to bridge French and German opposition to a U.S.-British-Spanish call for a second U.N. Security Council resolution allowing immediate military action against Iraq," reported the AP news agency.
"A Russian lawmaker said he doesn't believe Moscow would veto the U.S.-backed resolution. Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in Russia's upper house, also said a secretive mission to Baghdad by former Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov was intended to deliver astrong message to Saddam Hussein that he must cooperate with inspectors," reported the AP news agency.
"The Pentagon and other agencies may need more than US$100 billion to take on Saddam, rebuild Iraq and continue the worldwide fight against terrorism," reported the AP news agency.
"President Bush said Saddam could be tried for war crimes if the United States goes to war with Iraq. He also called Saddam a master of disguise and delay, mocking the Iraqi leader for disclosing some weapons that he had previously denied having," reported the AP news agency.
"Iraqi police deployed around key installations in Baghdad's first major drill for wartime defense," reported the AP news agency.
"Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix said although Iraq has stepped up efforts to clarify outstanding issues, its recent letters about its weapons programs do not represent full cooperation or a breakthrough," reported the AP news agency.
"Britain's House of Commons backed Prime Minister Tony Blair's determination to disarm Iraq, voting 434-124 to support his handling of the crisis," reported the AP news agency.
"A long-delayed conference of Iraqi opposition groups convened in Kurdish-run northern Iraq with special U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad saying America will be a partner in establishing democracy in Iraq," reported the AP news agency.
"An Islamic militant detonated a bomb at a military checkpoint in the northeastern Iraqi city of Halabja, killing himself and three other people," reported the AP news agency.
"U.S. warplanes bombed two military communications sites in southern Iraq, the U.S. military said, the fourth American strike on Iraq in two days," reported the AP news agency.
"U.S. Gen. Tommy Franks said allied forces would not be able to assure the safety of civilians who position themselves as human shields in Iraq," reported the AP news agency.
"Patriot missiles and two AWACS surveillance aircraft arrived in Turkey, the first NATO equipment deployed to defend the alliance member against a possible attack from neighboring Iraq," reported the AP news agency.
"British lawmakers backed Tony Blair's handling of the Iraq crisis Wednesday, but backbench legislators from his own Labor Party mounted the biggest challenge to the prime minister since he came to power in 1997. Among those supporting the measure were 122 of Labor's 410 lawmakers, making it the biggest revolt within the usually disciplined party since it took power.
"The British media focused on the strength of the rebellion against Blair. Some say the prime minister could be risking his job if he leads the nation to war without U.N. support.
"The prime minister has paid a high political price at home for his staunch support of U.S. ," reported the AP news agency.
"President George W. Bush's Iraq policy, and has been struggling to persuade a skeptical British public that war may be necessary. Polls show a majority of Britons oppose any war that lacks U.N. support," reported the AP news agency.
"An informal meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), which included some of the world’s biggest oil producers, agreed here yesterday to look into the possibility of using oil as a weapon to fend off a war in Iraq. Though the 47 leaders conceded that it could be dangerous and might lead to negative repercussions, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said if they did not consider it Muslim nations may not be able to influence events in their favour," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Saddam Hussein has one further final chance to disarm in compliance with UN demands, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday. Blair told the House of Commons that Britain would not seek an immediate vote on a draft of a new UN resolution, in order to give Saddam a final opportunity to comply," reported the AP news agency.
"Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein says he would rather die than leave his country and that he would not destroy its wealth by setting fire to its oil wells. Saddam, in an interview with the American TV network CBS, dismissed any idea of going into exile to avoid a war threatened by the United States and Britain if he does not comply with UN arms bans," reported the news Agencies.
"The Turkish government asked parliament on Tuesday to allow 62,000 US troops to use the country as a springboard for a possible attack on Iraq, but faced growing dissent ahead of a parliamentary vote on the deployment. In a motion sent to parliament, the government also requested permission to dispatch its own forces to northern Iraq, a breakaway Kurdish enclave which Turkey suspects of entertaining separatist ambitions," reported the AFP news service.
"Saddam Hussein is being threatened with trial as a war criminal if the United States goes to war with Iraq. The White House spokesman Ari Fleischer offered a grimmer scenario. Saddam and his inner circle would be legitimate targets for US forces," reported the AP news agency.
"The US air force is developing a huge 21,000-pound air burst bomb that is more devastating than the largest bomb now in the US inventory, the 15,000-pound daisy cutterwhich was last used in Afghanistan as a weapon of fear to flush out al-Qaeda and Taliban from caves," reported the AFP news service.
"US Treasury Secretary John Snow said the administration will spend what it takes to win a war in Iraq but refused to confirm that President George W. Bush is drawing up a US$95bil supplemental spending package for Congress to pay for it. In a debate about the economy broadcast on CNBC television, Snow saidWe're going to pay whatever price tag is required to win the war," reported the AFP news service.
"Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix said yesterday Iraq still had not made a fundamental decision to disarm, despite a recent handover of documents that his experts welcomed. Diplomats said, however, they did not expect Blix's written report to contain such precise language and thereby give ammunition to the US and Britain, who are moving towards war, and their opponents, France, Germany and Russia, who want inspections to continue," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Anti-war demonstrators in Italy planned yesterday to step up protests aimed at stopping or delaying trains carrying US military equipment for shipment to the Gulf," reported the AFP news service.
"Democratic Senator Joseph Biden on Tuesday accused the administration of abandoning its long-term commitments in Afghanistan and warned the same could happen in a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq," reported the AFP news service.
"US support for war with Iraq may be slipping a little and opposition is growing, meaning President George W. Bush would need a quick and clean military victory to avoid political problems later," reported the Reuters news agency.
"A 10-member delegation of Thai senators and human rights activists will visit Baghdad next month on a nine-day fact-finding mission as guests of the Iraqi government," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Four US soldiers were killed in Kuwait on Tuesday when their helicopter crashed during desert training in what US officials said was an apparent accident," reported the Reuters news agency.
"France's gastronomic world reacted with shock and anger on Tuesday to the suicide of Bernard Loiseau, a star of haute cuisine, a week after his restaurant was downgraded in a top food guide. The head of GaultMillau, Patrick Mayenobe, was quick to disclaim responsibility for Loiseau's suicide, saying the chef must have had other personal difficulties," reported the AFP news service.
"A female politician,Kirsty Marshall, former Olympic skier recently elected toparliament, was barred from breastfeeding her 10-day-old baby in the chamber of Victoria state's parliament yesterday after officials ruled the child was a stranger in the house. A non-plussed Marshall later explained that under the parliament's rules, based on Britain's Westminster system, her daughter could not enter the chamber because the 10-day old had not been elected to parliament," reported the AFP news service.
"Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ousted hawkish Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a surprise move yesterday after forging a new rightist coalition likely to toughen Israel's line against a Palestinian uprising. Silvan Shalom, until now finance minister, agreed to take on the Foreign Ministry in the coalition that Sharon began forming after his Likud party's election victory in January," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The world is losing the battle against hunger, the head of the World Food Programme James Morris said on Tuesday. Despite the efforts of government agencies and hundreds of NGOs, more than 800 million people were still chronically hungry and 24,000 people were dying daily of hunger or hunger-related health problems," reported the AFP news service.
"US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld strongly opposed direct talks with North Korea on Tuesday, saying it would quickly lead to North Korean demands to be paid for halting their nuclear activities," reported the AFP news service.
"Predicting that a US invasion of Iraq was just a matter of time, North Korea said yesterday that it could be the US military's next target and urged its armed forces to be ready for war. The communist government in Pyongyang accuses the United States of planning to send reinforcements into its coastal waters in advance of an invasion," reported the AP news agency.
"Under intense pressure, UN Security Council members conducted their first discussion yesterday on a US-British-Spanish draft resolution that lays the groundwork for war against Iraq. And in an effort to dissuade council members from voting for the resolution, France, Germany and Russia are pushing for proposals that will intensify UN arms inspections and continue them for at least four months. No vote is expected for about two weeks, with Washington not having garnered enough support for passage," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Turkey's top politician gathered lawmakers of his ruling party yesterday to press them to vote in favour of the deployment of more than 60,000 US combat troops in Turkey for a possible war against Iraq. War in Iraq is very unpopular among Turks and many Justice lawmakers said they opposed any Turkish participation in an attack," reported the news Agencies.
"A group calling itself September 11 sent terror threats to the US, Australian and British embassies in New Zealand warning it has 25kg of cyanide to use against American interests if Iraq is attacked. Although the group's name contains a clear reference to the 2001 attacks in the United States by the al-Qaeda terrorist network, national police headquarters spokesman John Neilson said police believed the threat came from within New Zealand," reported the AP news agency.
"More than one million calls have jammed US government telephone and fax lines as anti-war activists resorted to an information-age form of protest against war on Iraq planned by the administration of President George W. Bush, making it difficult for bureaucrats to conduct everyday business," reported the AFP news service.
"Toppling Saddam Hussein will do more than protect America, it will sow seeds of democracy and peace in the Middle East, US President George W. Bush said. Bush has largely been silent on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent months as he tried to focus the world's attention on Iraq. Yet on Wednesday night, in a speech to conservative activists, he tied the issues together, emphasising in a new way a broader rationale to his case for war to disarm Saddam's regime," reported the AP news agency.
"A record 165 candidates have been nominated for the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Institute said yesterday, with Irish pop star U2, Pope John Paul II and anti-war French President Jacques Chirac believed to be on the list," reported the AFP news service.
"What surprised many was that the 121 MPs, including 59 Labour backbenchers, voted against the government’s motion to pursue the UN route but did not specify military action in case of non-compliance to maximise support for Blair. Blair’s problems, according to The Guardian, have been complicated by the fact that the crisis coincides with the ongoing process of selecting Labour candidates for the next general election," reported the AP news agency.
"Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday candidly told the United States not to repeat past mistakes by abandoning Afghanistan, and warned that inattention could again reduce his country to a terror-haven, arguing that once the Soviets left, the Americans left, the consequence of that was what you saw in Afghanistan, in the United States, and the rest of the world," reported the AFP news service.
"Many observers believe that the fractured state of Afghanistan following the 1980s Soviet occupation, which Washington opposed by financing Mujahidin resistance forces, led to the rise of an ideal haven for terrorist groups," reported the AFP news service.
"A towering spire designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind that will be among the world's tallest structures was selected on Wednesday to restore New York's skyline where the World Trade Centre once stood," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Botox, the wrinkle-erasing treatment of choice for ageing celebrities and the vain, will be legally available as a cosmetic prescription in France from April after authorities gave marketing authorisation to one company, Allergan. Technically known as botulim toxin, Botox is a powerful neurotoxin that has been used around the world for the past two decades for serious neuro-muscular disorders," reported the AFP news service.
"An 80-year-old British pensioner has been called up by the Ministry of Defence for possible action in Iraq, the Sun newspaper reported yesterday. A ministry spokesman told the paper the call-up was due to an administrative error," reported the Reuters news agency.
"A gynaecologist accused of sexually abusing patients sat passively as a doctor told a court the exact size of his penis, a measurement the defence says proves his innocence. In unusual and explicit testimony on Wednesday, Dr Harlev Goldberg said he had measured Ixtlahuac's erect penis at 14cm. Some jurors appeared puzzled as to why the evidence was being presented in court," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Officials in Los Angeles have urged local television stations to curb their coverage of police car chases which have become a major source of entertainment in the freeway-bound US city. The growing popularity of high-speed pursuits in the country's second largest city, famous for its sprawling urban landscape criss-crossed by a tangle of highways and long boulevards, is endangering lives," reported the AFP news service.
"The Hague UN war crimes court sentenced former Bosnian Serb president Biljana Plavsic to 11 years in prison yesterday for her role in the persecution of non-Serbs during the Bosnian war of the 1990s. The Bosnian Serb Iron Lady,72, pleaded guilty last year and admitted to playing a leading role in the campaign of persecution against Croats and Muslims in Bosnia during the 1992-95 war that killed thousands and left tens of thousands more homeless," reported the AFP news service.
"Muslim, Roman Catholic and Jewish religious leaders visited historic Canterbury yesterday to see the Anglican Church enthrone an outspoken and controversial new leader. Rowan Williams, a bearded liberal from Wales who challenged the British government over its hawkish stance on Iraq, was installed as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury at a grandiose ceremony," reported the Reuters news agency.
"In Singapore everyday, about three women here find out they have breast cancer. Associate Prof Wang Shih-Chang, who heads the radiology department at the National University Hospital explained that unlike the previous generation, these women grew up in modern Singapore with very different lifestyles from their parents, and a diet rich in saturated fat. They are also more likely to be affected because more of them are childless, or had their first child after the age of 35," reported the Asia News Network.
"Couples in Singapore are splitting up because they just don't talk to each other anymore.
"Lack of communication and a sense of alienation were the top reasons cited by almost half of the 50 couples who took part in a study by the Subordinate Courts last year. The study, which is yet to be completed, is aimed at finding out why marriages fail and how the problem can be nipped in the bud. This comes at a time when the number of divorces in the republic is increasing steadily," reported the Asia News Network.
"Campaigns to end the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Indonesia intensified on Wednesday, after a group of 35 leading economists said the economy would fare better without the IMF. Rizal Ramli, former chief economic minister who leads the coalition, told reporters that once the IMF gets its hands off Indonesia, the economy would expand stronger and even return to pre-crisis levels of around 7% by 2005," reported the Asia News Network.
"Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday his government would review its controversial drugs blitz, which has led to the killings of about 1,000 people across the country. In particular, the widely criticised policy of measuring the performance of provincial governors and police commanders in the campaign by how far they reduce controversial suspect blacklists could change," reported the AFP news service.
"North Korea has restarted the reactor at the heart of its suspected drive for nuclear weapons, further raising the stakes in its diplomatic showdown with the United States," reported the Reuters news agency.
"President Roh Moo-hyun announced his Cabinet line-up yesterday, retaining the top North Korea policymaker and including more women and a number of young," reported the Asia News Network.
